Home Office

Radicalism

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evaluation, if any, they have made of the Exit counter radicalisation programmes in Norway, Sweden and Germany addressing white supremacism and neo-Nazism.

Lord Bates: We have regular contact with our counterparts across Europe to exchange expertise and information, but have not specifically evaluated the Exit counter radicalisation programmes in Norway, Sweden and Germany. One of the areas where we are keen to learn from other countries is their approach to tackling far-right extremism, and how this translates across all types of extremism, including the threat from Syria and Iraq.The Channel programme, our equivalent programme in the UK, is about safeguarding children and adults from being drawn into committing terrorist-related activity. It is about early intervention to protect and divert people away from the risk they face before they break the law. Support often involves intervention providers with knowledge to be able to counter extreme ideologies and narratives such as Islamist and extreme right-wing. We are making Channel a legal requirement for public bodies so that it is delivered more consistently across England and Wales.

Asylum: Middle East

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Northover on 13 January (HL Deb, col 652) and the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 21 January (HL4111) what is the difference between the 3,800 "Syrian nationals and their dependents" to whom they say they have given sanctuary and the 90 people whom they say were relocated to the United Kingdom under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme; what is meant by the phrase "given sanctuary"; how many of those given sanctuary were invited to the United Kingdom; how many came under their own steam; how many of the 3,800 Syrians have been given asylum or granted re-settlement; how many arrived in the United Kingdom before the present disturbances; and how many refugees in the United Kingdom are from Iraq or other parts of the Middle East region.

Lord Bates: The latest published figures show that between April 2011 and the end of September 2014, a total of 3,468 Syrians were granted protection in the United Kingdom. This number represents those people who have claimed asylum in the United Kingdom, and includes those who have left Syria since the onset of the crisis, as well as those already residing in the United Kingdom who are unable to return safely. It is not possible to break the data down further to show how many people have arrived in the UK since the onset of the crisis, as opposed to those who were already residing in the UK.The 90 people who were relocated under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPRS) between March 2014 and end of September 2014 are in addition to the number quoted above. Potential beneficiaries of the scheme are referred to us from Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt by UNHCR on the basis of vulnerability.The next set of asylum and VPRS statistics will be published on 26 February.The phrase ‘given sanctuary’ is defined as those given protection by the United Kingdom. The table below shows the number of people from the Middle East who have been granted a form of protection or other leave after claiming asylum in the UK. It includes those granted asylum, discretionary leave, humanitarian protection, as well as other grants outside these three categories. The data also include dependents. Q2 2011 – Q3 2014 Country GrantsSyria 3,468Bahrain 108Iran 4,472Iraq 421Israel 5Jordan 3Kuwait 111Lebanon 27Oman 0OccupiedPalestinianTerritories 123Qatar 1Saudi Arabia 35UAE 4Yemen 72

Asylum: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 20 November 2014 (HL Deb, cols 545–610), what extra information on how Azure Card users can apply for travel assistance has been provided.

Lord Bates: Information and guidance about travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and is widely known by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service. However, a mailshot planned for February will provide information direct to all card users.The Azure Card is accepted by over 8,000 retail outlets. These include the following retailers: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Boots, Iceland, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers.Since the card was introduced in 2009 the majority of the main UK retailers have been approached and have either agreed to join the scheme or have declined to do so. However, there are ongoing discussions with some retailers who may still be interested in joining the scheme.There is no numerical target on the number of retailers that might be added to the scheme.

Asylum: Finance

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 20 November 2014 (HL Deb, cols 545–610), how many retailers they have (1) approached, and (2) added to the Azure Card scheme.

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their target for the number of retailers to be added to the Azure Card scheme this year.

Lord Bates: Information and guidance about travel assistance is published on the GOV.UK website and is widely known by the voluntary sector organisations that assist Azure card users, including Migrant Help, which is funded by the Home Office to provide an advice service. However, a mailshot planned for February will provide information direct to all card users.The Azure Card is accepted by over 8,000 retail outlets. These include the following retailers: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrison’s, the Co-operative, Boots, Iceland, Mothercare, The British Red Cross, The Salvation Army and a few small independent retailers.Since the card was introduced in 2009 the majority of the main UK retailers have been approached and have either agreed to join the scheme or have declined to do so. However, there are ongoing discussions with some retailers who may still be interested in joining the scheme.There is no numerical target on the number of retailers that might be added to the scheme.

Police: Autism

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in considering whether police marker systems used to identify those with mental health and learning difficulties can be extended to those with autism as proposed in the report Think Autism.

Lord Bates: Work is continuing to establish whether a separate marker, specifically for autism, can readily be added to the Police National Computer in addition to the existing mental health marker, and to assess potential impacts on police force IT systems.

Police: Autism

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Faulks on 22 January (HL Deb, col 1442), how many police officers are expected to participate in training in recognising autistic spectrum disorders; and whether they are considering making such training mandatory.

Lord Touhig: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Faulks on 22 January (HL Deb, col 1442), what organisations have been consulted in the development of training programmes for police officers in recognising autistic spectrum disorders.

Lord Bates: All police officers receive training on a range of mental health and related issues, including awareness of autism spectrum disorders, as part of the existing national police curriculum.The College of Policing provides national training and learning resources, and is undertaking a wide-ranging review of the guidance and training available to police officers in relation to the identification of vulnerabilities, including mental ill-health, learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. All police officers will be expected to participate in training to recognise autism spectrum disorders once the refreshed training programme is available, which is expected to be at the end of 2015.As the police training curriculum is refreshed, the College will consult the National Autistic Society and other national charities on its content as it relates to mental ill-health, learning disability and autism spectrum disorders.In addition to the national work of the College, last year the Government commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct a thematic inspection into the treatment of vulnerable people in police custody. The inspectorate is due to publish its report in March and this will inform the College of Policing’s review of training as well as highlighting other areas where improvements can be made.Action is taking place at local force level also. Many have developed their own tailored training programmes to support their officers and staff in the identification and appropriate handling of people experiencing mental ill-health or who have learning disabilities or autism spectrum disorders. Hampshire Police, for example, have received training from and continue to work closely with the Hampshire Autistic Society.

Illegal Immigrants

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the status of immigrants from (1) Bulgaria, and (2) Romania, who arrived in the United Kingdom illegally before January 2014; and what is the total number of such cases that have been detected.

Lord Bates: The previous Labour Government signed the EU Accession treaty with Romania and Bulgaria, which granted Romanians and Bulgarians a right of entry to the UK from 1 January 2007. From that date, Romanians and Bulgarians have been able to travel to the UK legally, though their access to the UK labour market was restricted under the transitional arrangements, which the present Government extended until 31 December 2013, the maximum possible period.

Immigration

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to accommodate immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom from Bulgaria and Romania who have no financial resources and nowhere to sleep.

Lord Bates: EU nationals who are not fulfilling the residency requirements set out in the Free Movement Directive, for example those who are begging or sleeping rough, and who have no right of residence in the UK should leave. Following changes this Government made from 1 January 2014, those who do not depart voluntarily can be administratively removed and barred from returning to the UK for 12 months unless they can show that they have a valid reason to return.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Burma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on human rights and religious liberties of Burma’s new Religious Conversion Bill and of other new bills in that country aimed at the protection of race and religion and which focus on restricting inter-faith marriage, monogamy and population control; and what representations they have made to the government of Burma on the matter.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Restrictions on interfaith marriage, religious conversion and population growth are currently being debated in the Burmese parliament. We are concerned that, if enacted, these laws could harm religious tolerance and respect for diversity in Burma, and contravene international standards and treaties to which Burma is a signatory. We have voiced our concerns over this proposed legislation to members of the Burmese government and to Burmese parliamentarians. Most recently, Minister of State at the Home Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), raised the issue when she met Deputy Foreign Minister Thant Kyaw during her visit to Burma in January. The UK also endorsed a statement issued by EU Heads of Mission in Rangoon in January reiterating those concerns and calling on the Burmese government and parliament to ensure that all new legislation is fully compliant with Burma’s international human rights obligations. We will continue to raise this issue in our dealings with the Burmese authorities, both in public and in private.

European Union

Lord Boswell of Aynho: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total cost of the Review of the Balance of Competences between the United Kingdom and the European Union, broken down by (1) staff time, (2) printing costs, (3) running of engagement events, (4) witness expenses, (5) publicity of the reports, and (6) any and all other associated costs.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: There is no central record of the overall cost of the review. Each Department was responsible for allocating its own resources to meet its priorities, including delivering the reports on which it led or to which it had an interest in contributing.

South Sudan

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their current assessment of the situation in South Sudan; and what actions they are taking to work with religious leaders to promote reconciliation in the current civil war there.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: We remain deeply concerned by the situation in South Sudan. Nearly 2 million people have been displaced and thousands killed. We welcome the Inter Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) agreement of 1 February between the parties to the conflict but this needs to be implemented and a transitional government formed. Throughout the peace negotiations we have been clear that any transitional government must listen to the diverse range of voices that exist within South Sudan including the important role that religious leaders can have in the reconciliation process.

UK Membership of EU

Lord Tebbit: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that it is in the interest of the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: Membership of the EU brings the UK many benefits, including jobs and investment and a strong collective negotiating voice to negotiate free trade agreements. But the British Government is clear that the EU must reform to make it more competitive, democratically accountable and fair for those inside and outside the Eurozone.

Northern Ireland Office

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the government of the Republic of Ireland about the risks to health posed by the by products of illegally laundered fuel being dumped into waterways in the border areas; and whether they will put this matter on the agenda for a future meeting of the British–Irish Council.

Baroness Randerson: Managing the risks posed by the by-products of illegally laundered fuel is a devolved matter for the Northern Ireland Executive. I understand that fuel laundering is regularly on the agenda when the Justice Minister David Ford meets his counterpart in the Republic of Ireland; and that the Minister for the Environment, Mark H. Durkan, regularly discusses waste crime in North South Ministerial Council meetings.In related areas, HM Revenue and Customs is active in promoting cross-border co-operation to tackle fuel laundering, including through chairing meetings of the Cross Border Fuel Group, which includes representatives of the PSNI, NCA, Environment Agency and their opposite numbers from the Republic of Ireland.The British Irish Council is a forum for co-operation on matters of mutual interest between the eight Member Administrations. It may not therefore be the best means of raising issues which specifically concern only some of those Members. We shall continue, however, to make all the efforts we can to ensure the most effective co-operation on these issues.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many letters of comfort they gave to Mr Gerry Kelly to be delivered to IRA/Sinn Fein "on the runs".

Baroness Randerson: The total number of ‘on the runs’ considered by the administrative scheme and the outcome of their cases are set out in some detail in Chapter 7 of the Hallett Report. Lady Justice Hallett found that 156 ‘on the runs’ were sent individual letters between 2000, when the scheme was established by the previous government, and 2012, via Sinn Féin, informing them that they were not wanted.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Baroness Randerson on 27 January (HL Deb, cols 127–31), whether they will confirm that no blank letters were given to Sinn Fein to distribute to "on-the-runs" of its choosing.

Baroness Randerson: I confirm that no such letters were given to Sinn Fein.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the statement by Baroness Randerson on 27 January that the "on-the-runs" scheme had been closed down in an orderly manner (HL Deb, col 130), what steps they took, and over what time period, to close down the scheme.

Baroness Randerson: When the Government took office in May 2010, we allowed the administrative scheme to deal with so-called ‘on the runs’ established by the previous administration in 2000 to continue. We did this on the basis that the letters issued under the scheme did not confer immunity, exemption or amnesty from prosecution. In August 2012, the then-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Attorney-General decided that it would not be appropriate for the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) to accept any new cases, and that any fresh cases should be referred directly to the devolved police and prosecuting authorities. No letters have been issued by the NIO since December 2012, and on 7 March 2014 the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland confirmed the scheme was an end. On publication of the Hallett Report on 17 July 2014, the Secretary of State repeated that, as far as this Government are concerned, the scheme is over.In response to the recommendation in the Hallett report to confirm whether any element of the ‘on the runs’ scheme still exists, the Secretary of State made clear in her statement of 9 September 2014 that the scheme is now at an end. Recipients of letters under the scheme should not place any reliance on them as a protection against prosecution should the required evidential tests be met.

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how, and by whom, letters were dispatched to those individuals deemed to be "on the run" informing them that there were not currently being sought by police.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any letters indicating that an individual was not being sought at that time by police were signed and issued without the name of a specific individual at a specific address being present on the document.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they asked a third party to deliver letters indicating that an individual "on the run" was not being currently sought by police; and if so, who that third party was.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they issued letters for the benefit of "on the runs" other than to a specifically identified individual at a specific address.

Baroness Randerson: Lady Justice Hallett found that 156 ‘on the runs’ were sent individual letters by Government departments informing them they were not wanted: two by Downing Street and 154 by the Northern Ireland Office (NIO). These letters were sent via Sinn Féin between 2000, when the scheme was established by the previous Government, and 2012. These letters were clearly marked for an individual by name and sent to Sinn Féin, accompanied by a covering letter. As the names were provided by Sinn Féin and the NIO were not aware of addresses for these individuals, Sinn Féin were expected to pass on the individual letter to the named recipient.The total number of ‘on the runs’ considered by the administrative scheme and the outcome of their cases are set out in some detail in Chapter 7 of the Hallett Report. Examples of letters issued under the administrative scheme, including examples of the individual letters and the covering letter to Sinn Féin, can be found at Appendix 8 of the Hallett Report.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

Higher Education: Freedom of Expression

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to safeguard the principle of free speech in university campuses in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill proposes new measures to reduce the risk of terrorism; these measures, if agreed by Parliament, will in turn reduce the threat terrorism poses to freedom of speech in universities and elsewhere. The detailed guidance on the proposed new duty, to have regard to the need to prevent people being drawn into terrorism, is currently subject to consultation. The Government expects to revise the guidance in the light of the consultation to make clearer universities’ duty to promote freedom of speech.

Equal Pay

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the imbalance of pay by gender for graduate students in the United Kingdom.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Graduates earn, on average, substantially more than people with A-levels who did not go to university. Over the working life, the average graduate will earn comfortably over £100,000 more in today's valuation, net of tax, than a similar individual who completed their education with 2 or more A-levels. The latest BIS research estimates the lifetime benefits for an individual from gaining a first degree to be of the order of £165,000 for men, and £250,000 for women, net of tax and student loan repayments (2012 prices).

Government Research Establishments

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what have been the costs or income to the Exchequer, and the changes to the public availability of research, over the past five years resulting from the privatisation of public sector research establishments.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Information over the past 5 years for public sector research establishments (PSREs) that have been privatised is not collated against the headings requested. The 7th Survey of Knowledge Transfer Activities in Public Sector Research Establishments (PSREs) and Research Councils, prepared by Warwick Economics and Development Ltd (July 2014) for BIS, found that reported income from commercialisation activities including business consultancy for PSREs has increased ‘dramatically’, particular in the last three years.

ICT: North of England

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the TechNorth project; and what action they are taking to support its implementation.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: TechNorth was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister in October 2014 to support the digital technology sector in the North of England. It will form part of Tech City UK, and will focus on Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Hull and the North East tech cluster (Newcastle, Sunderland and Tees Valley). It will seek to coordinate the existing support and expertise across the region, and will help to link start-ups to potential investors. It will have a budget of £2m per year.   The government is working closely with Tech City UK to develop TechNorth. Tech City UK is in the process of recruiting staff to support the programme, including the Head of Tech North.   More details will be announced as the programme progresses.

USA

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of the United States about the lawsuit brought by Hershey's against import of Cadbury's chocolate products made in England.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Her Majesty’s Government has made no representations in this case. This is a commercial dispute between Hershey’s (as the licenced manufacturer and distributor of Cadbury products within the USA) and a US importer. This dispute relies upon well-known rules and principles and the companies involved have the right to take issues such as this to the judicial authorities in the appropriate territory.

USA

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take any steps against any Hershey's products manufactured in the United Kingdom while that company pursues its action in the United States courts against Cadbury products made in England.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Her Majesty’s Government currently has no intention of taking any steps against Hershey around the facts of this case. This is a commercial dispute between Hershey’s (as the licenced manufacturer and distributor of Cadbury products within the USA) and a US importer. This dispute relies upon well known rules and principles and the companies involved have the right to take issues such as this to the judicial authorities in the appropriate territory.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Non-native Species

The Earl of Shrewsbury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to control and eradicate invasive species in and around watercourses such as Himalayan balsam, non-native crayfish, American mink and quagga mussels.

Lord De Mauley: The GB Non-Native Species Strategy sets out a three pronged approach to dealing with invasive non-native species (INNS): horizon scanning and prevention; rapid response and eradication; and long term control. The Government has undertaken a variety of measures in line with the strategy, which is currently being revised and updated. The implementation of the strategy is overseen by a programme board, chaired by Defra, which includes the Environment Agency. The board regularly considers action to tackle specific species, including those in and around watercourses.   In 2011 Defra launched two campaigns to raise awareness of the risks posed by INNS and to prevent their spread: Be Plant Wise and Check, Clean, Dry. Defra is working closely with the Environment Agency to implement strategic plans and promote the Check, Clean, Dry message, in particular to prevent the spread of the quagga mussel, which arrived in England in October 2014. The Environment Agency is also continuing to monitor water bodies for quagga mussels and to work with water companies and watersports organisations to prevent the further spread, where possible.   The Check, Clean, Dry message is equally applicable to efforts to control the spread of non-native crayfish. Defra has also been funding the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (Cefas) to develop a trapping methodology to help remove crayfish from waterways. Cefas has been examining how best to capture both adult and juvenile non-native crayfish and where best to locate the traps within a water body to improve trapping success. Its report is due for submission to Defra in March 2015 and will be used to produce best practice guidelines for trapping non-native crayfish.   In addition, between 2011 and 2015, Defra has provided funding to help set up and establish local action groups (LAGs) throughout England, to tackle invasive non-native species that can impact on the aquatic realm, including non-native crayfish, Himalayan balsam and American mink. LAGs have undertaken a range of activities, including the cutting and treatment of Himalyan balsam; the use of mink rafts to capture American mink; and crayfish traps to capture non-native crayfish. LAGs have been a driving force in promoting biosecurity messages and have also undertaken horizon scanning for INNS, which are likely to arrive in local areas.   The Defra-funded trial release of a rust fungus to control the growth and spread of Himalayan balsam was carried out during 2014 and this work continues to be monitored to assess impacts.

Milk: Prices

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 22 January (HL4173), how they assess the success of French milk co-operatives in sustaining prices for procedures as compared with that of English co-operatives since the end of the Milk Marketing Board.

Lord De Mauley: The Government supports co-operation in the dairy sector through the development of co-operatives and Producer Organisations (POs). In January 2014 we commissioned a study looking at the critical success factors behind dairy co-operatives working across Europe, including France. The study showed that collaboration has an important role to play in establishing mutual beneficial relationships between all parties across the supply chain. For this reason we have facilitated the uptake of POs in this country. The report is available at www.rannd.defra.gov.uk.

Chocolate: EU Action

Lord Blencathra: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make representations at European Union level in respect of the use of the word "chocolate" to describe products containing less than 20 per cent chocolate.

Lord De Mauley: There are currently no plans to make representations at European Level on the use of the word chocolate.   The Cocoa and Chocolate Products (England) Regulations 2003 set out the composition and standards for chocolate including definitions. Chocolate shall not contain less than 35 per cent total dry cocoa solids and milk chocolate or family milk chocolate not less than 20 per cent total dry cocoa solids.   There are rules in place under the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulations EU No 1169/2011 to ensure the consumer is not misled. Quantitative ingredient declarations (QUID) apply to all pre packed foods. This means that where chocolate is a characterising ingredient e.g. a chocolate cake, the percentage of the chocolate has to be declared in the ingredients list.

Meat: Ritual Slaughter

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the ritual manner of slaughtering animals for kosher and halal meat is in accordance with European Union regulations on animal welfare; and if not, what action they are taking.

Lord De Mauley: Council Regulation (EC) 1099/2009, on the protection of animals at the time of killing, permits the slaughter of animals in accordance with religious rites. It also contains strict requirements that need to be observed when carrying out such slaughter and allows individual Member States to put in place additional, national rules that provide greater welfare protection. The UK has maintained its long-standing existing national rules on religious slaughter in addition to the European regulation.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Housing

Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what changes to housing policy they have introduced since 2010; and how any such changes have been evaluated.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Since publishing “Laying the Foundations: A Housing Strategy for England”, the Government has implemented a range of policies to get Britain building again, to fix the broken housing market and to help hard-working people get the home they want.   In particular, we have created a streamlined and locally-led planning system and removed unnecessary burdens that were restricting the supply of housing; and built more affordable housing and a new generation of council housing.   We have supported home ownership, restoring confidence in the housebuilding sector and helping more first time buyers to enter the housing market, and created a bigger and better private rented sector, including building more homes to rent. We have also provided infrastructure and development finance; promoted self-build and custom-build; made better use of surplus public sector land; and helped bring empty and redundant land and property back into use.   During this Parliament, a significant number of our housing policies and programmes have been evaluated by the Select Committee, by external bodies and by the DCLG itself.  For instance, in February 2014, DCLG published an evaluation study by Sheffield Hallam University on “Promoting mobility through mutual exchange: Learning lessons from the housing mobility demonstration projects”. This report distilled the key lessons to be learnt from 12 authorities or partnerships of authorities which participated in a mobility demonstration project, allowing social tenants to swap homes. The report was published on the Gov.uk website and a copy was placed in the Library of the House.   As a further example, in December 2014 DCLG published its “Evaluation of the New Homes Bonus” in the first four years of its implementation. This reflected externally-commissioned research by the University of Sheffield and others, plus internal DCLG research (including use of data from the 2013 British Social Attitudes survey). This was announced via a Written Ministerial Statement on 16 December 2014, Official Report, column WS20, and a copy was placed in the Library of the House.

HM Treasury

Fuels: Tax Evasion

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many persons have been prosecuted for illegal fuel smuggling in Northern Ireland in the last five years for which figures are available.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to prevent the distribution of laundered fuel in the United Kingdom.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the amount of revenue lost to the Exchequer as a result of illegal fuel laundering and distribution in Northern Ireland.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland concerning the processing and distribution of laundered fuel in Northern Ireland; and when the last discussions took place.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether HM Revenue and Customs officials have carried out any joint operations with their counterparts in the Republic of Ireland aimed at preventing the manufacture and distribution of illegally produced fuel in the border area; and what was the outcome of any such operations.

Lord Deighton: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) fights fuel fraud on a wide range of fronts, from special units performing thousands of roadside checks to dismantling laundering plants. Additionally the UK will shortly implement an improved new marker for rebated fuel, which will make it much harder for criminals to launder marked fuel and sell it at a profit. The impact of this activity is shown by the fact that 2.11m litres of illicit fuel were seized in the UK in 2013/14 (including 0.57m in Northern Ireland) and 44 laundering plants were dismantled in the same period (38 of these were in Northern Ireland).  HMRC arrests those involved in fuel fraud, but decisions over prosecutions are made by the judiciary. It is not possible to break down figures to determine prosecution specifically for fuel smuggling in Northern Ireland, but prosecutions for all forms of fuel fraud are as follows (figures are not available for years before 2011/2012):   2011/12142012/1372013/146  HMRC works closely with the Revenue Commissioners in the Republic of Ireland at a number of levels; this includes regular exchange of information, joint operational activity and the gathering of evidence for use in criminal prosecutions.   At a strategic level the development of the new fuel marker has been a joint initiative between HMRC and the Revenue Commissioners. The Revenue Commissioners are also partners in the Cross Border Fuel Group. This sub-group of the Organised Crime Task Force is chaired by HMRC and includes representatives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, National Crime Agency, Environmental Agency, plus their equivalents from the Republic of Ireland. It last met on 23 October 2014. In addition to identifying emerging trends and areas of common interest, this Group also identifies opportunities to take multi-agency action against organised fuel crime. No assessment has been made of the loss of revenue specifically due to fuel laundering. However, tax gap figures published by HMRC estimate the market share for all illicit diesel in Northern Ireland as 13%, or £80M in 2012/13. Petrol fraud is negligible.

Money Lenders

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what protections are in place to protect people from unscrupulous practices in the pawnbroking industry.

Lord Deighton: The Government has fundamentally reformed regulation of the consumer credit market, including pawn broking. The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) more robust regulatory regime will help to improve protection for consumers who use pawn brokers.   The FCA requires firms to provide adequate pre-contractual explanation to consumers including making it clear to the consumer that, where an article is taken into pawn, the article might be sold if not redeemed. In addition the FCA has introduced tough rules regarding pawn brokers’ conduct of business. The FCA also requires firms to comply with its high-level principles, including ‘treating customers fairly’.   Where firms breach its rules the FCA is able to impose tough sanctions, such as imposing unlimited fines and ordering firms to pay redress to customers.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Natural Gas: Rural Areas

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which areas they define as the poorest quarter of rural areas for the purposes of eligibility for assistance with the provision of gas.

Baroness Verma: Ofgem operates a scheme – the Fuel Poor Network Extension Scheme (FPNES) which provides support to eligible households in relation to the provision of mains gas. At present, if a household is within the 20% most deprived areas in Great Britain it may be eligible under this scheme. These areas are identified using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) measured at the lower super output area (LSOA) level. Note that there are separate IMDs for England, Scotland and Wales.Ofgem is currently conducting a review of FPNES. We expect the outcome of the review to be published in March 2015.

Cabinet Office

Public Sector

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what initiatives they will put in place to support the findings of the "What works?" report by the What Works Network.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: This Government established the What Works Network in March 2013 and has since created a number of additional What Works Centres. The latest Centre to be developed is the What Works Centre for Wellbeing, where initial funding of over £3.5 million has been committed beyond the lifetime of this Parliament. In July 2013 the Government appointed Dr David Halpern to be the What Works National Adviser. The What Works National Adviser is supported by the Cabinet Office and is responsible for the development of the What Works Network. The What Works Centres are giving national and local level decision makers and public service professionals the frameworks and tools to help deliver more cost effective services.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the rules for Maxwellisation were last reviewed; by whom they were prepared; where they can be seen; and what the consequences would be if the Chilcot Review were published with outstanding complaints from those criticised not addressed.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Sir John Chilcot requires permission from Her Majesty’s Government to publish his report on Iraq.

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which Departments, if any, still have outstanding Maxwellisation points in connection with the Chilcot Inquiry.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry; Sir John Chilcot has described the process as essential and confidential, and to comment further might jeopardise the confidentiality of the process. Once his report is complete, Sir John Chilcot will deliver it to the Prime Minister. It is for Government to publish the report, and once it is delivered we expect to publish without delay. The daily fees for the Chair and Members of the Inquiry are published on the Inquiry’s website.

Iraq Committee of Inquiry

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the daily fees paid to the chair and members of the Chilcot inquiry; and on what terms are they paid.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The Maxwellisation process is a matter for the Inquiry; Sir John Chilcot has described the process as essential and confidential, and to comment further might jeopardise the confidentiality of the process. Once his report is complete, Sir John Chilcot will deliver it to the Prime Minister. It is for Government to publish the report, and once it is delivered we expect to publish without delay. The daily fees for the Chair and Members of the Inquiry are published on the Inquiry’s website.

Departmental Responsibilities

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why HM Passport Office and the National Fraud Authority were not included in the List of Ministerial Responsibilities published by the Cabinet Office in November 2014; whether they will be included in future editions; and whether in the meantime they will publish the details in the Official Report.

Lord Marlesford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will include Home Office arm's length bodies such as the Independent Police Complaints Commission and the College of Policing in future editions of the List of Ministerial Responsibilities.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The List of Ministerial Responsibilities includes executive agencies within each department along with non-ministerial departments.The Independent Police Complaints Commission is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Home Office. The College of Policing is a professional body that has been established as a company, limited by guarantee and an arm’s length body of the Home Office, with the Home Secretary the sole owner. The National Fraud Authority was dissolved in March 2014. On 1 October, HM Passport Office ceased to be an executive agency of the Home Office and now reports directly to Home Office ministers.

National Security Council

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the National Security Council country objectives are consistent with those of the Department for International Development; and what steps they will take to resolve any differences.

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the National Security Council define national security when reviewing country strategies.

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that objectives within National Security Council country strategies are consistent and focussed on the long term.

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that National Security Council country strategies are informed by critical analysis and by in-country stakeholders.

Lord Judd: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to ensure that National Security Council objectives are scrutinised by Parliament.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: The National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review set out the long term direction to meet the strategic objectives of ensuring domestic security and resilience, and shaping a stable world. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, comprising members of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, scrutinises the National Security Strategy and the structures for government decision-making on national security, particularly the National Security Council (NSC) and the National Security Adviser. The NSC brings together departments, including DFID, to take collective decisions, balancing the mutually–reinforcing elements of national security including domestic, foreign, development, defence and economic policy. The NSC has introduced, from April 20145, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund and associated governance reforms. Together these looking systematically at deployed overseas dealing with the risk of instability. links NSC strategic decision making with programmes on the ground.

Department for Culture Media and Sport

Tourism

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether updates will be made to their current tourism policy in the light of the growth of that industry.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's tourism policy is kept under constant review.

World War I: Anniversaries

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for the centenary commemoration in (1) Turkey, and (2) the United Kingdom, of the Gallipoli landings.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: A UK-led Commonwealth and Ireland Ceremony will be held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Helles Memorial in Turkey on 24 April 2015, the eve of the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. Due to the restricted nature of the site, this event will not be open to members of the public There is traditionally an ANZAC Day Service and parade at the Cenotaph on Whitehall but in this centenary year the UK will lead a service on Saturday 25 April to remember all those who fought in the Gallipoli Campaign as well as to mark ANZAC Day. This will feature a commemorative service, the laying of wreaths by senior representatives of the nations involved in the campaign and a march-past the Cenotaph. Descendants of those that served during the campaign and wishing to attend from a reserved area or take part in the march-past can apply for free tickets on the Gov.uk website at the following linkhttps://www.gov.uk/government/news/marking-the-centenary-of-the-gallipoli-campaign  An event is also being planned at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, on 6 August 2015 centred on HMS M33 the last surviving ship from the campaign which is currently being refurbished.

War Memorials

Baroness Harris of Richmond: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Monument to the Women of World War II.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Government have no current plans to celebrate ​the 10th Anniversary of the Monument to the Women of World War II.

Government Departments: Flags

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what criteria determine when flags on Government buildings are flown at half mast; and for what reason it was done on Wednesday 21 January.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: On Friday 23 January, flags on Government buildings were flown at half mast following the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. In line with long-standing arrangements, the Union Flag is flown at half-mast on Government buildings following the death of foreign monarchs.

Department of Health

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 20 January (HL3893), why the regulatory process for case by case approval is not already specified in the draft Regulations laid before Parliament; and why the Regulations include numerous advance provisions to conceal the identity of egg or embryo donors in Regulations 11 to 18.

Earl Howe: Regulations 5 and 8 make clear that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority must make a determination in each individual case that there is a significant risk of serious mitochondrial disease.   The Explanatory Note accompanying the draft Regulations laid before Parliament give further explanation of Regulations 11 to 18.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 6 January (HL3839), whether they can provide any extant examples of a "gene therapy" that does not modify any genes, of a "germ line therapy" that does not affect the germ line, or of a "germ line gene therapy" that does not affect any genes to be transmitted through the germ line; if not, what is the basis of their assertion that a "germ line gene therapy" does not constitute genetic modification; how discussion is clarified by defining genetic modification such that it "is not that that is what it is"; and whether they will place in the Library of the House copies of any written contributions towards the development of the working definition by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Wellcome Trust and the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

Earl Howe: The working definition adopted by the Government for the purpose of taking forward the Mitochondrial Donation regulations states that genetic modification involves the germ-line modification of nuclear DNA (in the chromosomes) that can be passed on to future generations. Mitochondrial donation is not considered to be genetic modification, as the patient’s nuclear DNA remains unaltered during this process. However, the Nuffield Council on Bioethics considered that it can be defined as germ line therapy because the techniques “introduce a change that is incorporated into the (mitochondrial) genes of the resulting people, and so will be incorporated into the germline that they will go on to develop”. Furthermore, because mitochondria are inherited down the maternal line “only women born from these techniques would be able to pass the changes on to their children” and this form of germ line gene therapy does not affect any genes transmitted through the germ line of men born through these techniques.   Cancer gene therapy intended to activate an anti-tumour immune response is an example of gene therapy that does not modify any genes.   The working definition of genetic modification in humans is intended to assist in taking forward the debate on mitochondrial donation.

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 24 February 2014 (WA 174–5), how many human embryos have been destroyed or experimented upon in the United Kingdom to date for which records are available; and how many of those have been generated by (1) somatic cell nuclear transfer, (2) pronuclear transfer, and (3) spindle-chromosomal complex transfer.

Earl Howe: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended (1990 Act), provides that human embryos created by in vitro fertilisation that are not transferred to a patient, cannot be allowed to develop beyond a maximum of 14 days. At that stage, the embryos are about the size of the head of a pin.   The 1990 Act also provides that the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) cannot licence research using human embryos unless the research is necessary or desirable for the purposes specified in the Act and the use of embryos is necessary.   The HFEA has advised that the current total number of embryos that were allowed to perish in each year since 1990 were:  YearEmbryos allowed to perish1990619918,164199223,035199327,466199432,176199537,270199647,808199748,024199857,427199977,269200085,938200188,039200296,377200396,309200498,3482005100,5472006108,0802007116,3422008112,0502009132,5362010155,5572011168,6132012166,6312013169,644 As stated in the answer to the noble Lord of 24 February 2014 (WA 174-175), the HFEA does not hold data in its register of the number of embryos experimented upon.   The HFEA has also advised that it does not hold records of those embryos that have been generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer, pronuclear transfer, and spindle-chromosomal complex transfer.

In Vitro Fertilisation

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 22 January (HL4042), whether step 1 must always be performed before step 2 in the different processes described by Regulations 4 and 7 of the Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015; if so, what are the reasons for this and how completion of step 1 would be ascertained; if not, whether it would be permissible for the two steps either to be performed simultaneously or for step 2 to be performed before step 1; and under what circumstances an egg or embryo resulting from completion of step 2 could be considered to be a permitted egg or embryo if there was any reasonable doubt that step 1 had not been completed.

Earl Howe: As stated in my answer of 22 January 2015 (HL4042), step 1 and step 2, described by Regulations 4 and 7 of The Draft Human Fertilisation and Embryology (Mitochondrial Donation) Regulations 2015, would be completed in their entirety in order to generate a permitted egg or embryo. The regulations do not specify the order in which the steps must be followed. The completion of step 1, if there was any concern that this step had been completed, could be tested by genetic analysis to determine the karyotype (number of chromosomes).

Accident and Emergency Departments

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that accident and emergency units in England have a sufficient complement of doctors; and if not, what they consider to be the reasons for any shortfall.

Earl Howe: It is not for the Government but for local National Health Service organisations to decide whether they have a sufficient complement of doctors, and they are best placed to do this based on the needs of their patients, demand for services and the best skill mix to serve their local community.   The latest monthly workforce statistics published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre show that as at October 2014 there were 6,098 accident and emergency (A&E) doctors in the NHS in England, an increase of 1,236 since May 2010.   In addition to the increasing numbers of doctors working in A&E units, in order to increase the pool of supply, last year Health Education England (HEE) worked with the College of Emergency Medicine to expand the emergency medicine branch of the Acute Care Common Stem programme and established a ‘run through’ pilot for speciality training. HEE developed a mechanism whereby doctors working in other clinical areas can transfer into emergency medicine with their skills recognised and progress more quickly through the early years of emergency medicine training. These actions are now having a positive impact on the system, and there is now a 98% fill rate.

Accident and Emergency Departments

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they will take to reduce excessive waiting times for accident and emergency patients.

Earl Howe: The Government has given the National Health Service a record £700 million of additional support to ensure urgent and emergency care services are sustainable year-round and ready for the pressures of winter. Local plans to spend this money provide for nearly 8,800 extra staff and almost 6,500 extra beds. The Government is also acting to ease the pressure on accident and emergency (A&E) departments, by supporting faster discharge from hospitals. We have given ring-fenced grant totalling £37 million to councils, to help prevent delayed discharges.   For the longer term NHS England’s urgent and emergency care review is looking at ways to improve the system, including easing pressures on A&E departments.